Friday, December 30, 2011

1. No blogging for three weeks: blame SAD. If only the damn sun would come out...

2. I met PCL! I had a three-hour layover in Detroit on my way to Boston and we met up at the airport hotel restaurant. The food was delicious, the service semi-crappy, and the company awesome. I made her a scarf!

Friday, December 9, 2011

I have a trip to Boston planned around Christmas. Li's getting married! That plane ticket was SO expensive...

Anyway, I have only like two shirts that fit me (besides my tee-shirts) and I want to look presentable. My family doesn't care what I wear to holiday gatherings, but hers might. Besides, the last time she saw me I was about 50 pounds lighter, and I don't want to look as bad as I feel.

So I went into Macy's, and everything was on sale. Everything. That was a stroke of luck! Within ten minutes of starting to look around I found five shirts I wanted to try on, and two were cute and flattering and half off or more. Here they are:

They hide the pudge. Mostly.

I got a new phone and the pictures are terrible on it. This disappoints me greatly, since the camera on my last phone was nice and sharp.

Anyway, next I needed some shapewear. My bridesmaid dress fits me just fine, but my tummy does bulge a bit, so I was hoping to find something that would squish me in in the waist area and perhaps have a built-in strapless bra sort of situation, but Victoria's Secret was completely out of things in my size and had no idea when a shipment would come in. I leave in two weeks, so I'm running out of time.

Next I decided to try Target. I found the perfect generic brand Spanx sort of thing, so that's all taken care of (Thanks Sarah for the tip!), but then I went to try on a strapless bra and that's when the holy-crap-how-did-my-stomach-get-this-squishy-and-flabby panic hit, and I decided to call it a night and get the rest of what I needed tomorrow.

So. Tomorrow I need to find: a strapless bra, a nice coat (that doesn't smell like chemicals), and I was thinking a few more shirts but Kwiddens just texted me and said I could borrow some of her shirts, and the woman has amazing fashion sense, so I trust her to dress me completely. Seriously, what would I do without my Kwiddens?

I'm starting to feel better about this trip. And after all, it's more about Li and her wedding than about my looking good, so I really ought to forget about it.

Monday, December 5, 2011

Once upon a time a girl named Anna made the turkey for Thanksgiving dinner almost all by herself. Okay, not so much. But it ended up being the best turkey we've ever had!

The REAL star of the show is the brining mix I bought at Williams-Sonoma:

All I had to do is boil it until all the salts dissolved:

Then I let it cool a bit, poured it into the cooler outside on the deck (okay, so Scott did, since it was heavy and he's a strong man-type person), and then put the turkey inside (once again, Scott did the lifting):

We secured the cooler with bungee cords in case of raccoons:

Then we let it sit from Saturday night until Thursday (Thanksgiving) morning, checking every day to make sure it was still cool enough in there and adding ice when necessary.

THAT, my friends, is the secret to making the best turkey ever.

After we pulled it out, I rinsed it very thoroughly, put it in a roasting pan, completely covered it with foil, and roasted for several hours at a low temperature. Then I pulled it out of the foil, increased the temperature, stuck in a meat thermometer, and started basting it with melted butter every half hour until it was heated to the right temperature and nice and golden on the outside. Kwiddens helped quite a bit, too! Of course, I forgot to take a picture of the finished turkey...but it was pretty.

Now, Buster got his very own Thanksgiving feast, as well. The turkey came with a little packet of guts, of course, so we boiled them and then stripped the meat off the neck:

Buster was a very good boy and waited until we said it was okay to eat his treat:

And then we said "Okay!" and he ate them all in about a minute. I think he was pleased.

Also, the day of Thanksgiving, he got three cans of wet food instead of his normal dry food. Happy Thanksgiving, Buster!

And the tardiness of this post can be attributed to Seasonal Affective Disorder, which makes me want to lay in bed all day and hibernate.

But what I left out, and what I've been thinking about recently, is how amazingly lucky I was to have the opportunities to do the things I talked about.

How many people never even get a chance to get jobs to keep themselves out of debt through school? How many people have the resources necessary to do so well in school? How many people are offered the opportunity to apply for a full-tuition scholarship at a school with an incredibly prestigious program in their chosen field? How many people meet the right person to marry? How many people were in the position to take advantage of the $8,000 homebuyer's tax credit? How many people have health insurance that covers psychotropic medication, or even realize they need it? How many people can afford their medication, even with insurance?

What a lot of people who are "against" the movement don't realize is that life is pure shit for A LOT of people, and often, hard work can get you somewhere, but you've got to be somewhere to begin with.

I have so much. And yes, Scott and I work hard. But I was born in one of the most wonderful, safe countries in the world. This is a place where I have things protecting me and my rights: police, laws, and the right to have guns in my home. I was born to a woman who sacrificed so much to stay home with her kids, to teach them and give them every opportunity to learn possible. As poor as we were, I was born into a situation where I could choose my own destiny. And SO FEW people have that choice. Some people are just born with the short end of the stick, and no matter what they do or how hard they try, they will never be able to turn things around.

I am so thankful for what I have and the experiences I've had, both good and bad (because the crappy stuff teaches you life lessons that, it turns out, come in quite handy).

I realize everyone has different thoughts about the Occupy movement, and I respect that. The last thing I want to do is make a political statement or sweeping generalization that offends people or starts a huge debate. No, thank you! But I felt like I needed to share this. I hope that regardless of your stance on the Occupy movement you take a few minutes now and again to reflect on what all you do have, and be grateful that where you are is infinitely better than where some others have been...or still are, and perhaps always will be.

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

He's actually been having back pain for years. He's been to see several different doctors, but so far everyone has just given him some Flexeril and Lorotab and then sent him on his way. One doctor even went so far as to take an x-ray, but when nothing showed up they gave up. So for years now he's strained it by working too hard, or sometimes just from sitting for a while, and he's just had to suck it up and deal.

November 1st was the day our new insurance plan took effect. The last time we had to change insurance plans, both the new and the old insurance plans were supported by the clinic where we usually went, so we didn't have to switch doctors. But this time, we had to go to a completely different clinic. This turned out to be a really good thing.

Keep in mind that the events I am about to recount were expected to take, at minimum, two or three weeks. PLEASANT SURPRISE.

I called Monday morning to set an appointment for Scott to see someone at the new clinic. Surprisingly, they had an appointment open for 11:00 a.m. So Scott went to the old clinic, had them print out our medical records, and then went to the new clinic for his appointment. The next thing I know, he was calling me to say they were taking x-rays now and this afternoon there would be an MRI! THAT QUICKLY, YES I KNOW.

So after the MRI, I had to go pick him up, because they gave him Valium so he wouldn't get stressed out inside the MRI machine, and OH BOY WAS HE STONED. I mean, like giggly stoned. It was hilarious!

So then we expected to wait a few days for results, right? Ha! They called within a few hours and were like "Hey, you have a bulged disc!" From zero to diagnosis in three hours. SO GOOD. So they said they had a doctor there who specialized in back injuries, so they would have him give us a call and we would go from there. Less than an hour later, guess who called?

Major brownie points to Tanner Clinic!

So the back doctor called and Scott has an epidural steroid shot scheduled for the 28th, and then we'll see what happens. It's looking like there will probably be a back surgery at some point, although we don't know when.

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

So Scott and I have decided to go low-carb. My doctor told me to, so before any of you start in about diets being bad, blah blah blah, just know that it was my doctor's suggestion in the first place. Besides, we intend to gradually add good carbs back in, and we're trying overall to be healthier. Doing this is forcing us to cook at home for every meal and really think about what we're putting into our bodies. We're also eating more vegetables. More vegetables never hurt anyone!

We'll do this for a few weeks (or maybe longer) to get a jump start on weight loss, and then we can add some fruits in for a few more weeks, and then some lentils and nuts (except Scott can't because he's allergic), and eventually we'll get to where we're adding in whole grain sorts of things. We want to do this for life. We want to get to where we're eating healthy foods out of habit, instead of eating out out of habit like we've been doing. I'm learning cooking skills, too! Like yesterday I cooked some chicken and nothing got burnt. It was AMAZING.

Tonight we cooked up a spaghetti squash, sauteed some mushrooms, and had a steak. We cooked extra of everything so that we would have some for lunches tomorrow (except the mushrooms...those don't reheat well, I'm guessing).

I had forgotten how much I did like fresh foods. We're very fortunate that we can afford to buy all of our vegetables (and eventually, fruits) fresh instead of canned. When I was growing up we were so poor that canned fruits and vegetables were all we could afford. No wonder I didn't like them!

I really hope that by giving up processed sugars, white breads, rice, and potatoes, and sugary drinks I can break some of these deeply ingrained food addictions. I don't know if I can. I tried once before, and I failed miserably. But this time Scott is doing it with me, so I think with the extra support from him it's going to be a lot easier than trying to do it alone.

The cool thing is, Mim is doing it too, so we're going to have a low-carb Thanksgiving dinner. If you think about it, mostly what we'll be giving up is the mashed potatoes. I can live without those.

I'll have to take a few days off when I go to Boston for Li's wedding, because it's hardly fair to ask someone to accommodate a weird diet while they're having a wedding, but after that I'll get right back on track.

I'm trying not to think of this as a temporary "diet", but more of stepping stones on the path to healthy eating for life. There seem to be so many social events with food that it seems overwhelming to have to start saying "no" to things, but I'm hoping that with time it will get easier. I think I've been using these social events as an excuse to eat poorly.

Also, as I learn to cook things so they are actually delicious and not burnt or weird or disgusting I'm hoping that will make it easier, as well. The internet is full of recipes, and I intend to use them!

Saturday, November 5, 2011

Yesterday was your birthday. I SUCK AT LIFE, so I didn't write about it yesterday, but here you go!

Yesterday we all met at a restaurant and had dinner together. You were telling such fun stories that the waitress kept coming over and laughing with us. That is the kind of person you are, Kwiddens: the kind who makes everyone laugh, and at nobody else's expense (that they know of, anyway...*evil grin*). That's an admirable quality.

Lots of things have been happening lately, both good and bad. I call you and tell you the good things, and you laugh and tell me how awesome it is that I have happy things in my life. I call you to complain about the bad things (or bad people...) and you just let me rant, and then agree with me that shit sucks sometimes. Also, you don't think I'm a total bitch when I talk smack about someone who is bugging me. Or maybe you do. Either way, you don't say I'm a bitch. That's what a good sister does.

This is a picture of you and me together in the poodle skirts Grandma made for us:

I can't even believe it's so long since we took that picture! Even now that we're grown, I'd still wear an ugly-ass skirt and hold your hand (just not in public)!

I love you so much I don't even know how to tell you. When I see you sad my heart breaks into pieces. I want your happiness more than I want my own. You're the best sister and friend I could ever have, and I forgive you for everything you've ever done to me, like that one time you threw a dead spider on me but told me it was alive and I screamed and punched you and we both got in huge trouble. Or that one time that you stole my underwear, and then when you bent over at school I said "You're wearing my underwear!", not realizing that the boy I had a crush on was in the room. Or that one time that you read my journal and made fun of me for having a crush on James Bacon. Ha!

Kwiddens, I wish you realized how much you are worth as a person. At least ten dollars. Maybe fifteen. Just kidding! HOW ABOUT A ZILLION? That's not even a real number, it's so big. But really. You are a beautiful and brilliant young woman, and an amazing momma, and a devoted sister and daughter, and you are really good at lots of things, like putting on mascara perfectly and making the world's most delicious carrot cake. You work hard all the time and you deserve health and happiness (and lots of chocolate).

I hope this year is better than the last. You better text me every damn day. I need my Kwiddens fix. I'm about as dependent on it as I am on having three cups of coffee every morning, and that's really saying something. Even when you're miserable you make me laugh so hard with the way you tell your stories: with funny faces and hilarious impressions and everything. And when you text me I imagine you in my head, making the same faces. Sometimes I laugh out loud at work after reading a message you've sent me and people look at me like I'm on crack. It's awesome.

I love you more than I love candy and cookies, and cashmere yarn, and my electric blanket, and Dr. Pepper...the list could go on forever, you know. I appreciate everything you do for me and say to me and how supportive you are of me, even when I'm a total brat.

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Scott has spliced together a video with some of our Halloween stuff this year:

Here's the sad bit: we borrowed a night vision security camera from Scott's company and had it set up so we could record kids' reactions...but somehow it didn't record the whole night and missed the very best parts, such as the part where Scott jumped out from the fog and scared the crap out of some kids, one of whom screamed and ran away down the street. Yes. So this video is some of the other pictures and videos we took.

Kids are so cute on Halloween. One kid (five years old or so) saw the full-size candy bars and said "Where have you been all my life?!" Another, my friend L.'s kid (two year old girl) said "Bye, scary!" as she walked away like it was her friend.

At one point during the night we saw some people walk up to Frederick and have people take pictures of them with him. AWESOME.

So new things we added since last year:

Frederick
Ghost in the front window (black lights and white tulle)
Creepy cloth on the front door and up the walkway
Orange lights across the front of the garage
Moss on the tombstones
Flashing lights with thunder sound effects

Next year we're thinking about building a creepy tunnel the kids have to go through to get to the door. We'll see what we come up with!

Quick rant: when I was a kid and we went trick-or-treating, we went to each house and got one small piece of candy. We hit lots of houses so we could end up with a large stash. ONE PIECE. So we handed out full-size candy bars, right? Several kids had the stones to ask, "How many can I have?" or "Can I take two?"

Friday, October 28, 2011

Jorg: I hope you're having a good day!
Me: Um...mostly. I just ran out of Argon again.
Jorg: How crucial is Argon? Are your machines working?
Me: Nope.
Jorg: Typical!
Me: I know! The Universe is being all tricksy...
Jorg: It's probably Loki.

K: Is it still okay if I bring my kid over tonight for you to babysit?
Me: Yep! We'll grab a keg or two and invite some bikers and hookers over. PARTY TIME.
K: Wait...will you babysit me too?

Kwiddens: Isaac's mom is cleaning in preparation for Isaac's dad's birthday dinner. Grunting and groaning. I refuse to help because I don't respond to grunts.

Me: Maybe I can has cheeseburger for lunch if I eat just green beans for dinner...
Kwiddens: Why don't you have a cheeseburger and then a normal dinner and take a walk?
Me: Mebbe.
Kwiddens: That way you're not depriving yourself and your body won't be like WTF?!
Me: Haha, my body's always like WTF!

Kwiddens: I think there should be certain services available to perioding women
Me: Such as?
Kwiddens: Somebody who will bring you pain meds, ice cream, whatever foods you're craving, do chores for you, etc.
Mim: On call firing squads w/ pickup duty...

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Why aren't you more fun to write? Probably because my life is boring right now. But don't worry; Halloween is coming up and there's always a post about that, and Scott is talking about starting the basement this weekend, so there will be many posts about that as well.

Love,
Your Pathetic, Boring BlogMama

Dear Scott,

I can't even tell you how proud I am of you and all the amazing things you know how to do. You're downstairs right now making blueprints to submit to the city to get a builder's permit so we can finish the basement, and I can't be more pleased. We've been saving for many months and I think we're ready to take the plunge. Besides, Jorg still owes us several hours of work, so we might as well milk that for all it's worth! It'll be awesome to have that finished so we can then get all the flooring put in. We'll be one step closer to having a real house with walls and floors and everything! I'll try to help as much as I can, and I'm sure you'll teach me lots of new things about how things should be built.

Love forever,
Wifie (Who Will Have An Actual Laundry Room)

Dear New Coffeemaker,

I bought you because I realized how much money I was spending on coffee every morning, and how many paper or plastic coffee cups were going into the garbage, and how it's quite obvious that I've become a daily coffee drinker. You only cost me about $20. I picked you over the $14 coffee maker because you make five cups instead of three, and you're black and stainless steel like the rest of the appliances in my kitchen. You're super fast and I can program you to make coffee while I shower in the morning. I even bought two kinds of coffee to try out and some of that fancy flavored creamer. Throw some Stevia in and I'm a happy, caffeinated morning person (almost). You even make my house smell good in the morning (though Scott doesn't appreciate the smell like I do, so he might hold a grudge against you, but don't worry, it's nothing personal).

Thanks for waking me up,
Caffeinated Anna

Dear Frederick The Animatronic Skeleton,

Why don't you just dress yourself? I mean, I just don't want to do it. I will, though. I have until Monday. But I better have it done before that, because we need to be able to troubleshoot if something doesn't work out. I just really don't appreciate that you've been standing in my living room, staring at me while I do other projects. Glaring at me isn't going to make me pay attention to you!

Love,
Someone Who Sucks At Sewing

Dear Kwiddens,

I can't even believe how amazing you are. I needed you desperately and you came through for me. Li's wedding is in December and I needed a bridesmaid dress...you know how I get when I shop for clothes. It gets ugly. Hyperventilating ensues. But you saved me, and the most amazing thing is that you found me a dress, a shrug, and shoes, all in the space of about four hours, and all for under $200. YOU. ARE. AMAZING. You even helped me find a dress that flatters my figure. Now all I have to do is find a bustier sort-of-thing to squish my fat into a more appealing shape, and voila, I'll be super hot and ready to go. I owe you big time.

Love,
Your Chubby (And Now, Less Anxious) Sister

P.S. Can you help me figure out how to put makeups on my face? I'm a little rusty...

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

So yesterday I mentioned that I had been crying the day before. Yay. I feel like I want to talk about why, and who better to talk to about personal issues than the internet?

So when I was younger I kept a diary off and on, but for the longest time I didn't because Kwiddens used to read my diary and tease me about the boys I wrote about liking. James Bacon, 5th grade. Yes, his name was Bacon. THANKS, KWIDDENS (Just kidding. I love you more than puppies, and yarn, and ice cream!). Anyway, I stopped writing for a long time.

But Kwiddens didn't. She wrote down a lot of the things we went through when we were younger.

On occasion, here on this little blog, I've mentioned a rotten childhood. Many, many factors went into this, but one of them was having a mother who was bipolar, but didn't know she was, and so wasn't taking medication for it.

I feel it's important to explain something: I DO NOT BLAME MIM FOR ANY OF THIS. She knew there was a problem. She went to psychiatrist after psychiatrist, and tried SO MANY medicines, and nobody saw that beneath the depression and anxiety there was bipolar disorder, which was the biggest problem of all. Mim did everything she could to try to make it better, but what was she supposed to do when none of her doctors could figure it out? In fact, if I want to blame anyone, I could blame Jason, because, as a psychiatrist, HE SHOULD HAVE SEEN IT. Maybe he didn't because he never came home, or because he spent all his time giving us all the silent treatment. I don't know. But I really think he should have figured it out.

But here's the truth: she would totally lose it. And I'd have to deal with the consequences. I feel jealous that Em and Jorg didn't have it as badly as Kwiddens and I did (there's a five year age difference between Kwiddens and Em), because when I sensed her mood swings coming on, I was able to get Em and Jorg out of the house, thereby shielding them a bit from the worst of it.

I don't want to go into specifics about things she did to us (not yet, anyway...maybe some other time), but Kwiddens wrote a lot of it down in her diary.

When Mim's new psychiatrist realized what was going on, he put her on Lamictal, which led to me getting on it, and it changed both of our lives for the better. For the best, really...

Part of the healing process has been not only medical, but emotional. There was a point when I never wanted to talk to or see Mim ever again. I was hurt that badly. But these past four years in particular, we've bonded over so many things, and while we did, we've talked over a lot of things.

She knows that sometimes I get angry because of the things I've been through, and sometimes I'm angry at her, but I still don't blame her. When I remember something that happened, I tell her about it, not to make her feel guilty, but because she honestly doesn't remember the things that happened, and she wants to be aware of what happened. It's the same with Kwiddens. And through this process, we've all made progress in leaps and bounds. We're all still quite broken, but we're getting there.

Anyway, so the day before yesterday Mim was at Kwiddens's house, and they were looking through some of Kwiddens's old diaries. After she left, Mim called me and of course, she was crying, and she apologized again for the way things were. She told me that she would be proud of me even if I'd come from a perfect family and home life, but with the way things were, she was just extraordinarily proud of how far I've come. She reiterated how much she loved Scott and how happy she was that I have him. I told her again that I knew it wasn't her fault and that I love her so much. The whole thing made me cry.

And then, when I was snappy with Scott, I was crying because sometimes I'm terrified that my mood swings will get out of control and I'll ruin this amazing thing Scott and I have.

Monday, October 17, 2011

Frederick (animatronic skeleton) is almost done. The mechanism that moves his head around is done, and the cauldron-stirring mechanism is done, but hasn't been tested with a creepy-looking stick yet. I need to dress him, but I'm not quite sure what to do...I bought some brown burlap that I intend to shred up a bit and line with black tulle so you can't see through it for a creepy cloak-like thingy. I think I need to go back to Hobby Lobby to get some plain black fabric to use to cover his front. The trick will be making it look real without impeding the motion of the arms or head.

I finished my green sweater! I haven't washed and blocked it yet, so no picture, but I'll get it done eventually. Here's the thing...I'm not sure I like the waist, and I'm tempted to rip it out and redo it. I think I'll bring it to knit night and ask the ladies what they think.

I'm back to working seven hours a day again! I am ECSTATIC about this.

There's a pattern trending called the Beekeeper's Quilt, and it's knit out of tiny little hexagonal units called "hexipuffs" (YES, IT'S THAT CUTE). My knitting group has decided we're all going to knit some and put them all together to make a quilt and then donate it.

Since I've finished my sweater (unless I decide to change it...), I've pulled out my pink/red/purple Babette blanket again. I'll make another quarter of it before I start any new projects (hexipuffs excluded, since that's a group project).

I made a tuna sandwich the other night. Don't ask me why; I usually don't care for tuna. I just got this weird craving (and no, I'm not pregnant. I'm just a weirdie.). In order to make it tastier, I added Ranch dressing seasoning into the mix, and HOLY YUM THAT WAS A GOOD IDEA. Do it. Do it now.

Kwiddens: Do you ever look in the mirror and think "I look hideous"?
Me: All day long.
Kwiddens: I effing hate it. I feel like Helga. Pronounced with a phlegm.

I snapped at Scott yesterday without even realizing it, and I hurt his feelings, and I didn't mean to, and I felt so bad I started crying (although to be honest, that wasn't the only thing I was crying about), but Scott reassured me (while I apologized profusely), saying "Even if all you ever did was snap at me, I'd still love you, and I'd still have it better than 99% of guys out there." Because he's an angel.

I'm craving ice cream AGAIN. And the other day I was craving fried chicken, which is something I've never had a craving for before (except directly following Popeye's commercials).

Damn. Now I want Popeye's. The only one around here is on the Air Force base, though, so I'd have to convince my friend with a husband in the Air Force to go get it for me...

Friday, October 14, 2011

Mim: Even the tutors in the math lab say "Times it by 4".
Me: That's so gross.
Mim: I don't know how much more I can take.

Scott: Sorry...
Me: For?
Scott: That you don't feel well and that I am a bad hubby
Me: You are a wonderful hubby!
Scott: Maybe it is the painkillers
Scott: Sorry...I feel like...a bad hubby...not hanging with you

(Scott gets overly apologetic when he takes narcotics...)

Kwiddens: I had to stop Rachel from putting a finger of melted ice cream in Nyah's mouth just now.Me: Come over. Bring Nyah baby. I promise I won't put things in her mouth ;)Kwiddens: Haha, okie.

Me: I don't know what to get E and J for ChristmasMim: CoalMe: Are they being bad?Mim: Not necessarilyMe: Ok.

Thursday, October 13, 2011

My knitting group organized a whole day of yarny goodness a few weekends ago. We had hoped for a better turnout than we had (only six of us went), but we all had a great time anyway! We visited eight yarn stores in the Salt Lake area. I like to support local businesses when I can, so I wanted to get a little something from each shop, but I only found stuff I wanted at six of them. Well, that's not entirely true. I did see things I wanted at every shop. But I was trying to be good, and I knew Scott was watching the bank account online while we were shopping...

When we got to the first yarn shop on our list, it was still a few minutes until they would be open, but what do you know, there was a bakery right next door. I had the best cinnamon roll I've ever had. It was mouthwateringly good! We also stopped in the middle of the day and had lunch at this cute little shop where I had a most delicious chicken caesar wrap and an Italian soda. And we all had coupons for it!

All together I ended up spending about $180, so I think I won't even let myself look at more yarn for a while...but look, I took pictures of all my new pretties!

This one is a muted peach/purple color. I never thought peach and purple would go together, but since they're so muted it works well. I'm thinking socks here.

I saw the sparkles and I couldn't help myself. Scarf, probably, maybe a gift for someone.

This is such springy sock yarn, and it's less orange and more pink than it looks on this picture.

This one is a skein that matches a blue one that one of my knitting friends bought, so we decided we'd do a sock KAL (knit-a-long) together with it! We haven't picked a pattern yet.

This is made of bunnies, and was half off.

These have some alpaca and silk in them, so they're super soft. Plus they were on sale.

And I had to get some Noro on sale. It's laceweight. I have no idea what I'll use it for, but it's going to be gorgeous!

And there goes my yarn budget for A WHILE. I need to find some special yarn for a wedding shawl I plan on making for a dear friend, but other than that I think I will try not to buy any more yarn this year. TRY.

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Monday 10/3
My computer was still not connected to the network.
The part for the ICP-OES came, but didn’t fit properly, so ICP-OES was still down. Coworker used ICP-MS as backup again.

Tuesday 10/4
I got a new computer!ICP-OES still down. Coworker still using ICP-MS as backup.

Wednesday 10/5
Three men working on ICP-OES all at once, but they still don’t get it fixed. Coworker used ICP-MS as backup again.

Thursday10/6ICP-OES fixed!

Friday 10/7
The end!

Keep in mind that the entire time C.I.D.H.F.’s ICP-MS was down, Coworker was running all of their mineral assay tests as well. CRAZY. Both of us were putting in major overtime.

Some of our outside clients were okay with heavy metals results on the ICP-OES, but the majority just waited until our ICP-MS was back up, leaving me with a giant pile of samples that had accumulated over two weeks. Catching up was a BITCH.

Tuesday 9/27O.P.P. 24, C.I.D.H.F. 5, Other 22 TOTAL 51
Technician came to work on ICP-OES. He had to order parts, so couldn't complete the repair. Coworker used ICP-MS as backup again.C.I.D.H.F.’s ICP-MS still down.

Wednesday 9/28O.P.P. 25, C.I.D.H.F. 19, Other 4, TOTAL 48ICP-OES still down, waiting for parts.
Coworker was using ICP-MS for backup still, so I had to run my outside samples the next morning.C.I.D.H.F.’s ICP-MS still down.

Thursday 9/29O.P.P. 32, C.I.D.H.F. Fixed (0)!, Other 9, TOTAL 41
We bought a new HPLC, and to make room for it, so Coworker was moved into my office. In the process, my computer lost all access to the network, our databases, and the internet.ICP-OES still down, waiting for parts.
Coworker still using ICP-MS for backup, so I had to run my outside samples the next morning (again).
At least C.I.D.H.F.’s ICP-MS is working now. ABOUT FREAKING TIME.Friday 9/30O.P.P. 17, Other 6, TOTAL 23 (Happy Friday!)
My computer was still not connected to the network.ICP-OES still down, waiting for parts.
Coworker still using ICP-MS for backup.

Friday 9/23O.P.P. 31, C.I.D.H.F. 32, Other 5, TOTAL 68
Ran out of Argon partway through my run. Both ICP-MS and ICP-OES run on Argon. Praxair couldn’t come until Monday, so we were just stuck. Some of our testing was left undone.C.I.D.H.F. receives the part they were waiting for for their ICP-MS. They install it and it immediately breaks. Go freaking figure.

Sunday, October 9, 2011

Monday 9/12O.P.P. 35, C.I.D.H.F. 54, Other 29, TOTAL 118 ARE YOU SERIOUS
Our ICP-MS was fixed late in the day (YAY!).C.I.D.H.F.’s ICP-MS still down. Samples run on our ICP-MS overnight, now that it was working.

Saturday, October 8, 2011

If you find these too tiring (or just boring or dumb) you can skip them. I won't be offended, I promise! Mostly, I wanted to chronicle this for myself. Oh, happy memories!

Monday 9/5
Day Off! Sat at home worrying about work the next day…

Tuesday 9/6O.P.P. 17, C.I.D.H.F. 2 (rush testing), TOTAL 19 SAMPLESICP-MS computer fixed, but then the plasma wouldn't light! I called tech support and they had to schedule a service visit. The Technician couldn't come for two days.C.I.D.H.F.'s ICP-MS went down. They needed two samples rushed, so we ran them on our backup method overnight on the ICP-OES along with my regular samples.

Wednesday 9/7O.P.P. 21, C.I.D.H.F. 2 (rush testing), TOTAL 23 SAMPLES
I missed this day due to a family emergency.
Since the ICP-MS was down, my boss had to run the Hg tests on the DMA, but the data wasn’t saved (wonderful IT guys came in and rebooted the computer without saving) and I had to retest all of them the next day.
Our ICP-MS still down, so my samples were run overnight on the ICP-OES again.C.I.D.H.F.’s ICP-MS still down, needed 2 rushed on ICP-OES.

Friday, October 7, 2011

Thursday 9/1O.P.P. 24, Other 8 (8 were later sent out to another lab for testing, but the results came back high so I ended up re-testing them later anyway), TOTAL 32 SAMPLES
Our ICP-MS computer wouldn’t boot up. My samples were run on the ICP-OES after Coworker completed his work on it, so I didn’t have results until the next morning.

Friday 9/2O.P.P. 28, Other 8 (6 sent out, re-tested later), TOTAL 36 SAMPLES
No word from IT department about ICP-MS computer. My samples run overnight on the ICP-OES again.

Now, if things are working properly, 32 or 36 samples is not a big deal. When you're using backup methods, however, it makes things take a lot longer than they usually would.

To be continued...

(I broke this saga up into several posts because it looks like a maze all together in one place. Breaking it down by weeks makes it SO much easier!)
(Plus then I have posts for several days...)

Thursday, October 6, 2011

First, in order for you all to understand what a month September has been for me, I’ll outline how my job usually works. I’m sorry if this is all too technical, but in order to understand why September was so sucky, you’re going to have to bear with me. I'm color-coding a few things to help you keep it all straight.

Usually I come in in the morning and start weighing out samples for testing. From Our Production Plant (O.P.P.) we usually get somewhere between 15 and 35 samples (sometimes more or less) for heavy metals testing. From Company I Do Hg For (C.I.D.H.F.) (Hg=Mercury), I usually get between 10 and 25 samples for Hg testing only (again, sometimes more or less) (and during this whole series of posts, I won't be talking much about the Hg samples). From other outside clients, I usually get 10 samples or so (but there’s the occasional client who will send me 20+ all at once, bless their hearts…). So, on a usual day, we’re talking between 25 and 60 samples for heavy metals testing and 10 to 25 samples for Hg testing (but these aren't very important in the story to come). Remember these numbers.

Normally, I run Hg on my DMA (Direct Mercury Analyzer). If this instrument is down due to either malfunction or regular maintenance, I can use my ICP-MS (Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometer). If I’m not there, then for simplicity’s sake my boss just runs Hg on the ICP-MS (and doesn’t do any testing for our outside clients unless it’s a rush). If the ICP-MS is down, then we just can’t do Hg testing (well, technically we could do it on the ICP-OES (Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optical Emission Spectrometer) but it takes two days to prep the samples for that method, and then there’s a special equipment setup…basically, it’s a pain in the ass). For other heavy metals testing, I usually use my ICP-MS. If this instrument is down, we have a backup method on our ICP-OES that works for most of our own products. There are a few interferences, so for the samples that don’t work on the ICP-OES that we really need results on ASAP, we usually send these samples over to C.I.D.H.F. and since our companies are friends, they will run those few samples for us on their own ICP-MS, and when their instrument is down, they send us their samples, so it’s a you-scratch-my-back-I’ll-scratch-yours sort of thing. Also important: Coworker runs mineral assays on the ICP-OES. When it’s down, the ICP-MS is the backup for his testing.

Calibration on my normal ICP-MS run usually takes about 50 minutes (sometimes more or less, depending on the method I need to run for the day), and after that each sample takes about 3.75 minutes to run. Every ten samples, I need to run a QC (quality control) sample (or two, or three, depending on the method) and a blank.

So let’s say I’m having a totally average day and I have 40 samples for heavy metals testing. That’s 50 minutes for calibrating, 150 minutes for samples, and 45 minutes for QCs and blanks. 245 minutes = roughly 4 hours. If I start my run around 10:30 a.m., I can get off of work at a normal time. I usually work 7 hours a day. Most days, I don't have to share the ICP-MS with anyone, or I can at least finish all of my work before anyone else needs it. If I absolutely need to, I can let it run many, many more samples overnight.

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Thank you for taking three and a half days to get my computer connected back in to the network at my lab. I spent the duration using other people's computers to do things I should have been able to do on my own, much more quickly, without waiting for others to be done with what they were doing.
Also, thank you for deleting three years' worth of emails. I have now lost all of my contact information for the other companies I work with and lots of things I can't even think of right now.
Thanks, however, for Windows 7. Pretty fancy, I suppose.

Love,
A Slightly Peeved Employee

Dear Pinky Finger On My Left Hand,

Somehow, in the middle of the night, the nail ripped right off of you. I tried to get back to sleep, but it kept hurting, and then it felt all warm and sticky...I went to the bathroom and put a band-aid and some of the fancy pain-relieving Neosporin on it, and went back to sleep. All freaking day I kept bumping it against stuff, which hurt pretty badly. Oh well. I'll live.

Love,
Someone Who Might Not Knit For A Few Days...Sigh...

Dear Scott,

Thanks for using all the fingertip bandages. Also, I really hope you get better soon. Being sick super sucks.

Love,
Someone With An Ill-Fitting Regular Bandage On Her Left Pinky

Dear McDonald's Employee,

I asked for the size fries that comes with Monopoly pieces. If I'm going to spend the money and rot my arteries, I want the damn Monopoly pieces. If I didn't win a million dollars today because of you, I'm going to key your car.

Love,
A Customer Who Thinks You Should Do Your Job Better

Dear Kwiddens,

Last time you asked me to write you a letter. Here's a letter!
Kwiddens, you and your friendship (and sistership! if that's even a word...) mean so much to me, you just don't even know. My emotions, as you know, can be quite volatile, and it makes things oh so interesting, but no matter what's going on I can always count on you to be there for me, whether I need a rant or a hug or a freaking ginormous ice cream cone.
I hate that you live 40 minutes away from me (and that's if traffic isn't too bad) and I love The Bebby, but I hate that your being a mommy puts limits on our time together. I suggest she age a few years THIS MINUTE and you move five minutes away from me RIGHT NOW.
I also suggest that we become wizards.

Friday, September 30, 2011

In an effort to give myself a little jump start into posting more often, I've been going through old drafts for posts that I never got around to actually writing.

I found this one from back in October, before we put in the kitchen cabinets. A little bit later (ahem), I'm posting it anyway.

Part of what makes renovations so chaotic is having to move everything around and cover everything up to keep it from dying of exposure to dust and such. We went to thrift stores and bought a ton of ugly old sheets for this purpose:

At this point, I can't count the number of times our living room (or another room, for that matter) has looked like this.

After we had ordered the new cabinets, we prepped the kitchen so that we could put them in as soon as they were delivered. There was so much involved in this process: building the new wall, reconfiguring plumbing, repairing drywall, filling in the old door...so for a few weeks this was our entire kitchen setup:

We ate out A LOT for those few weeks...

Here's just one example of bad plumbing that we had to fix:

Remember how our house was built by monkeys? Yeah. Who puts plumbing outside the wall? Monkeys, that's who.

And, at last, our sink became useless, so we had to do everything upstairs in the bathroom:

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

61. Do you believe in Hell?Absolutely. I've been there. It's being trapped inside your own mind.62. What one thing have you done that most people haven't?Dated a murderer.63. What is the kindest thing you have ever done?I try to do kind things as often as I can think of them. It seems to be a good way to live my life. Nothing specific comes to mind.64. Are you a patient person?Most of the time. I tend to lose my patience (at least, inside my head) around willfully ignorant people.65. What holiday should exist but doesn't?National Take Klonopin And Eat Ice Cream Day66. What holiday shouldn't exist but does?Arbor Day. Does anybody know anyone who actually does anything for that day?69. Is your hair natural or dyed?I've dyed it but the color seems to have mostly faded, so it's just a brighter version of my own color. I think. I'm not entirely sure what my real color is...70. Do you have any deep dark secrets or are you pretty much up front?I'm very upfront with people whom I can trust completely, if they actually ask questions about my deep, dark secrets. Otherwise, I keep certain things to myself.71. What is under your bed right now?A pillow and probably some socks and I think my gym shoes are under there...72. If you were in the Land of Oz would you want to live there or go home?Go home. I'm such a homebody.73. If you drive do you frequently speed?I try hard not to, but everyone around here is hell-bent to get where they're going, so it's easy to lose track of how fast I'm going.74. What is the world's best song to dance to?Um...anything by Shakira?75. What song was on the last time you danced with someone?I dance in the car all the time. By myself.77. What is the first animal you would run to see if you went to the zoo?I always love to see the...everything! I love animals!78. Would you consider yourself to be romantic?On occasion. Most of the time I'm practical.79. If the earth stopped rotating would we all fly off?No. Gravity, bitches!80. What is the one thing that you love to do so much that you would make sacrifices to be able to do it?Hang with Scott (or Em or Jorg or Mim OR ESPECIALLY KWIDDENS). If you're looking for a more materialistic answer, then knitting.

Monday, September 26, 2011

Me: My back is killing me. I think a quesadilla would cure me.
Kwiddens: I think cake, chips, ice cream, pizza, etc. would help me!

Em: I wish there were a degree in calling other people stupid.
Me: That would be EPIC.
Em: I could have a doctorate in six years easily.
Me: Way more quickly than that, I think!
Em: No kidding.

Me: Thanks for calling in that scrip for me. My bladder sincerely thanks you!
Dad: No, I was just commenting on the appearance of your cats, wondering how they possibly ended up that way.
Me: I am SO confused.
Dad: Sorry, wrong person. In the middle of some friendly flaming.
Me: Okay, well, thanks for the antibiotics! :)

Me: What do you want to name your new computer?
Coworker For Whom Scott Built A New Computer: Computer, I don't care. Or Optimus.
Me: ...Optimus Prime? :)
C.F.W.S.B.A.N.C.: Yeah, then maybe it will come alive.

Saturday, September 24, 2011

So a few weeks back I mentioned going to the Great Basin Fiber Arts Fair with a yarny friend. I never really posted about it!

We headed down to Salt Lake in the morning and walked around...in only about an hour. It was MUCH smaller than we thought it was going to be, and aimed more at spinners than knitters. There was some yarn, however. Some very pretty yarn!

I picked up this skein of handspun mohair with a bit of something sparkly in it:

It's only 87 yards, so my options for its use are limited, but I Could. Not. Resist. The. Shiny. (This picture sucks. I took it in the middle of the night.)

I also picked this up:

This picture also sucks, for the same reason. But it's a mixture of berry and pink and a teeny bit of blue. It's Mini Mochi, which I've used before (Thanksgiving Socks) and LOVED.

Now, this was a few weeks ago, remember.

The latest issue of Knitty Magazine just barely came out, and there's a sweater in it that calls for this exact yarn (well, in a different color, but I always pick my own colors anyway) and it screams "MIM!" (I think you'll agree). It's safe to post about it here because Mim never has time to read my blog, so she'll still be surprised if I show you all!

It's the Tenney Park sweater. It has something I've never tried before, which is Entrelac, which is the kind of stitching on the front panel. It looks wicked hard, but it's actually pretty easy (based on a tutorial I found online) so I think it'll be okay. The rest of the sweater is a piece of cake.

So it turns out it was awesome of me to buy that yarn when I did, and I didn't even know it!

ANYWAY.

So after the fair my friend and her sister and I went to Olive Garden for lunch, and it was amazing and delicious.

Aside: A week before, I had gotten hit with another UTI (Apparently there are gremlins living inside my bladder). It was the worst one I've ever had. I went to the doctor and got the antibiotics I needed and lots of Azo, and it was bad enough she even prescribed me painkillers. Yeah. THAT BAD. But, as usual, I gave it a few days and I was good as new. Or so I thought...

Back to Olive Garden: So there we were, enjoying our tasties with lots of delicious cheese, when I felt the call of nature. Okay, no big deal. I excused myself from the table and slipped into the ladies' room, and WHAT DO YOU KNOW I ALMOST DIED. It was so sudden. I went back to the table and I was desperately hoping I could get through lunch and just go home right after, but I couldn't even make it five minutes before I started convulsing from the pain (okay, slight exaggeration, but the pain was substantial).

I had to call Scott to come pick me up at the restaurant and leave some cash so my friends could pay for my food. I was really embarrassed. I mean, I shouldn't have been; everyone has a bladder, after all. BUT STILL.

I got home, and at that point I decided to try to take Azo and drink five gallons of water and see if that helped, but it didn't. Mim was planning on bringing Jorg up to do some work, so when she got there I was thinking of having her take me to the doctor again, but it was like 6:00 pm. on a Saturday and my only option would have been the ER (ginormous copay...), so Mim (angel) called Dad and asked him to call in a scrip for another antibiotic for me. And he did. And it went away for real that time.

It was a crazy sort of day.

But at least I got some awesome string. And at least I got to pet a llama:

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Jorg has been working pretty hard with Scott on lots of projects around the house to pay us back for his computer. He's helped us with painting, cleaning, truck repairs, yard work, and other little things around the house. His birthday is this week, so I knocked four hours off his debt.

This past weekend the giant project (that took eight hours!) was filling in the flower bed in the front yard. We had hated it before because although there were some very pretty flowers for about two weeks in the spring, the rest of the year it was just greenery that either just...sat there...or wilted. Either way, it wasn't pretty. Also, it was covered in wood chips (fugly), and weeds would grow like crazy. It was a lot of maintenance for very little aesthetic value, so it had to go!

First up, Scott and Jorg pulled out all the weeds, plants, and wood chips. Then, they needed to dig up all the bulbs and pull out any big rocks, so they dug up and sifted all the dirt about eight inches deep. Scott built this nifty little sifter tool thingy for the task.

I was sick this past weekend, so on Saturday I was feeling well enough to go outside, as long as I was just sitting. So I sat on the front porch and got a little sun and fresh air while they worked, and I kept them sunscreened and hydrated. So at least I contributed. But in the middle I got really tired, so I went inside to take a nap. When I woke up, they were all done sifting and were smoothing the dirt down.

Next up they put a weed blocker (a fabric/plastic sheet) over the leveled dirt. Over it we wanted to put a bed of nice, medium-sized rocks, which, it turns out, look infinitely better than crappy wood chips!

We went to Home Depot and got to use the truck to haul the rocks! We bought about a ton of them (and I do mean a ton, as in 2000 pounds). It took two trips in the truck to bring them all home, and the people at Home Depot had to load them for us with a forklift! That was lots of fun, actually.

In the end, this was the result:

I know it looks like there's a lot of dirt in there, but as it rains it will wash out and leave just the stones.

The plan now is to find some really lovely ceramic pots and place a few potted plants (probably flowers or something with colorful leaves) over the rocks. It'll be neater, cleaner, and a lot easier to take care of. Scott is pretty sure that weeds won't grow at all.

Last Saturday I went to the State Fair with a yarny friend, her husband, and her mom. Her husband was cool. Her mom? TOTAL PARTY POOPER. (Sorry, yarny friend!) But she and I did pretty things with string in the car on the way there and back, and as a thank-you for driving, since I hate driving, I gave her a set of the stitch markers I made and WHAT DO YOU KNOW, they matched the yarn she was swatching with perfectly. I must be psychic.

Anyway, I did actually have fun, even though we didn't ride any rides. Yarny Friend and I were thinking about riding a few rides after we had looked at all the animals and exhibits booths and things, but we took one look at the line and decided it wouldn't be worth it. It's a good thing, too, because by the time we would have reached the front of the line to ride the whirly-around-make-you-sick ride, it would have been pouring rain. We got caught in it as it was! We were totally soaked!

This coming weekend Jorg and Scott and I were planning on going again, but he's not into exhibits, just fair food and rides, and THAT'S HOW WE LIKE IT! The problem is, I think I'm getting sick. Correction: I KNOW I'm getting sick. It's almost 5:00 in the morning, and I woke up about three hours ago with a burning sore throat and so much snot I don't even know what to do with it.

So I took some of that Zinc stuff that supposedly helps shorten colds, and some throat drops, and some Sudafed (the real kind, not the fake stuff they label as Sudafed nowadays) and lo and behold, I'm AWAKE. I'm not surprised; this is, after all, the stuff they make meth from. I can't really miss work (okay, well, theoretically I could, but it's been a hellish two weeks and my boss doesn't need to have to worry about covering for me when all I have is the sniffles...) so I'm going to suck it up and take drugs all freaking day, and maybe by this weekend I'll feel okay enough to go make myself sick from eating fair food and then riding in spinny-twisty-up-and-down-and-all-around rides at the fair. If not, I'll just have to wait until next year. SUCKO.

I spent all this week wishing it were Thursday so I could go to knit night.

I'm doing a test-knit for one of my yarny friends, and I taught myself the Magic Loop method! I'd tried it before with little success, but I think now I've got it. I haven't decided if I like it as much as using double pointed needles, but I'm thinking I'll get there. One needle is infinitely easier to keep track of than five, if you know what you're doing.

Oh, the snot. Make it stop!

I just spent the last two weeks doing damage control (and working ten or eleven hour days) at my lab because my equipment was down. I'm so tired and mad about it that I'm not even going to tell you about it. For now. Because I reserve the right to rant later on. It is, after all, my blog, which I may fill with whatever I wish.

Ugh. My throat freaking hurts.

I feel like blogging is a chore lately. I feel like I have everything to say, but nothing to say at the same time. I'm exhausted, and unmotivated, and emotionally I'm just DONE with everything. Does anyone else feel like this? I want to blog. I really do. I just can't get myself to sit down and do it lately.

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About Me

..."God is totally present at every point of space and time, and locally present in none"
-C. S. Lewis
...so...God is an electron?
To say that Hell is a place of everlasting fire is thermodynamically unsound.
However, I'm not making strides to get there ;)
I love science.